Transmission would suddenly not go into reverse. Seems to be a known problem. I've heard there is a tsb 613552 on this problem but can't get my hands on it. Vehicle always serviced by bmw. Only has 68,000 miles and taken care of like a baby. Bmw totally uncooperative and arrogant. Web site www.noreverse.org shows how widespread the problem is.
2000 BMW 323I transmission complaints
Page 8 of 9: complaints 191 to 220 of 235, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Without warning transmission failed to go into reverse. New transmission needed with only 87,000 miles.
Automatic transmission fails to go into reverse.
A few days ago my 2000 bmw 323i would hesitated before going into reverse. It stopped working completely two days ago and I took it into a car mechanic who told me I need a new transmission and that this was the third time he needed to put a new transmission in a 2000 bmwi in the past year including one in august. I have just over 30,000 miles on the car and he said the transmission should not fail with that low mileage. Bmw was of no help at all and said there was nothing they could do since the car was out of warranty.
Without warning reverse gear failed on my 2000 bmw 323i.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 bmw 323i. While driving 2 MPH, the vehicle would not move when shifted into reverse only moving forward. The mechanic stated that the transmission failed. As of october 5, 2007, the dealer and mechanic had not repaired the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 58,900. Updated 12/12/2007 *bf the consumer stated car lurched forward into another vehicle. The consumer stated the amount of repairs would be $5,000. Updated 12/12/07
Transmission failure - reverse function no longer working.
My well-maintained 2000 bmw 323i (with only 100k miles) has lost the reverse function - I will require a new transmission with an estimated cost of $4000.
2000 bmw 323i sedan - cannot reverse. Meticulously maintained car. No warning light came on. The car cannot reverse and I was stuck in a parking garage. Was told by the repair shop that I need a new transmission. There are thousands of complaints on the internet complaining about the same issue for the same year and model. Bmw needs to do a recall!
On 8/707 I noticed that I could not shift my 2000 bmw323ci into reverse. No prior notice and no engine or check lights came on. It's like being in neutral. The engine revs but there is no movement. In another instance I was on a hill and tried to back up. When I switched into reverse, the car rolled forward!! The problem persists as of today 8/13/07. A quick search of the internet reveals that this problem is widespread (see attached links). Bmw recalled the 5 and 7 series for this reason but did not recall the 3 series (perhaps because too many 3 series were sold compared to the 5 and 7 series??). Bmw really needs to address this problem before someone is seriously hurt. Http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/bmw_trans.html http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/01/bmw_transmission.html http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=7on_your_side&id=4407296 http://www.motortrend.com/cars/1999/bmw/5_series/recalls/ http://www.internetautoguide.com/auto-recalls/09-int/1999/bmw/7-series/index.html
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 bmw 323i. She stated that when the gear shift indicator was shifted into reverse, the vehicle would not move. The failure only occurred while vehicle operated normally in all other gears. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 61,850.
The transmission failed to perform in reverse. It simply acted as if it were in neutral. It was very scary and upsetting to have this happen, especially where and when it did. I was stuck and had to have reverse to leave the location where I had taken my daughter. Only with the assistance of two (2) men was I able to get the car where I could use the forward gear to move ahead. This manual maneuvering of this car put the men helping me, it put me, and it put others on the roadway at risk while this maneuvering was being done at, obviously, very low speeds. Bmw has not offered any substantial help with my plight, nor do they confirm all of the other complaints about the problems with the bmw 3 series, 2000 and later. Part of the litany of the same complaint can be found on the consumeraffairs.com blog site. I'm confident bmw is aware of these complaints. They simply try to look away and ignore us all.
Could not back up in the middle of a busy intersection (no reverse and no warning). 323i bmw 2000 transmission failed.
Transmission will not go into reverse.
My 2000 bmw 323i abruptly stopped going in reverse. Like many dissatisfied 323i owners, I took it to a local dealership only to find out it needs a new transmission. I searched online and many other bmw owners are dealing with this frustration. The complaints are being logged on the following website: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/bmw_trans.html
Auto transmission reverse failed with no warning at 87,000 miles. Bmw says replace transmission at full cost.
The reverse gear in my 2000 bmw 323i has failed.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 bmw 323i. When the contact shifted the vehicle into reverse, it failed to move. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the transmission failed. A local mechanic made the repair. The powertrain was unknown. The current mileage is 29,000 and failure mileage was 28,000. The consumer questioned would like to know why bmw will not admit to the defect with this specific vehicle that has been on the road for the last 4 years? Updated 08/07/07
Bmw is not on your list of vehicles! Transmission failed on 2000 323i bmw with only 57k. Scanning online complaints about 323i transmission failures it seems the federal safety agency should have recalled the unit by now!
2000 bmw 323i series failed to go into reverse. Numerous complaints involving this year only found on consumeraffairs.com leading me to believe a recall was appropriate. All incidents were identical and happened with as low as 30000 miles.
I own a 2000 bmw 3.23i that I bought brand new in 2000. I spent a lot of money for that car and had nothing but problems with it. I had to replace the window regulators many times, and had a water leak problem. I spend thousands of dollars in other items that was just crazy, especially for a car that just had 70,000 miles. The big problem which caused me write this complaint was the transmission problem that a lot of people were having with their cars not wanting to go in reverse. The car just out of nowhere stopped going in reverse. This was just abnormal for a car with this low mileage. Bmw did not want to take responsibility for this, and it was just crazy. I was very disappointed by their business tactic of not taking responsibility for this defective transmission. It was clearly not normal, yet they were trying to avoid to pay for a replacement, and they didn't care as they were making so many enemies. I never cared for mercedes as I liked the way bmw drove, but this experience was making them lose a customer for life. Please make them issue a recall for the transmissions, and stop this business behavior.
I am an owner of 2000 bmw 323i. It currently has ~115k miles on it. Today (friday, july 13, 2007), I entered the parking garage at work and attempted to back into a parking space --- as I always do. I drove forward, then put my car in the reverse gear, but it would not move. When I pressed on the accelerator, it would only make an idling sound like it was in the neutral gear --- even though the lcd showed "r" (reverse). After a few attempts of trying to go in reverse, I realized that all my efforts came to naught. Luckily, I had just enough room to "drive" forward and clear the car in front of me so that I could take my car to get repaired. Come to find out, I need a new transmission. I find it very odd that my transmission would go out this early and it wouldn't give any type of warning. Also, I find it very frustrating that there are cars that cost 1/3 of the price and provide better utility. This experience definitely has me questioning my brand loyalty. Bmw surely isn't living up to its' branding message as "the ultimate driving machine" --- unless it specifically excludes going in reverse.
2000 bmw 323i will not move when in reverse gear. The car behaved as if it was in neutral. There was absolutely no other trouble, warning light, etc. Leading up to this failure. The car was very well maintained and serviced by bmw authorized dealers, has 66000 miles and was very gently driven. This problem has been faced by literally hundreds of 2000 bmw 323i owners in the last year on cars between 60,000 and 70,000 miles; please see attached link: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/bmw_trans.html. I requested you to investigate this problem with bmw with the objective of determining if a manufacturer's recall was warranted.
The shift plate indicator has been replaced once and it is again faulty. It gives a false indication of the actual position of the transmission. For example, the car can be in drive, but the neutral light will be on.
Had brakes and suspension replaced and while at dealership the reverse gear went out. This is the same issue I see all over the internet. All other gears work other than reverse, which will cost 4000 to replace.
2000 bmw 323i transmission reverse gear failed. Attempted to put in reverse but no gear. A quick search of internet reveals literally dozens if not hundreds of e46 model series bmw owners complaining of the same thing. No reverse or total transmission failure. Repair facility recommends complete transmission replacement or rebuild.
There were 50 documented transmission failures for the 2000 bmw 3 series automobiles. There are undoubtedly more, but the people just paid the $3000 to $5000 repair bill. There is no coincidence that these transmissions are failing and bmw knows about the problem, but won't do anything about it.
Automatic transmission failed to engage in reverse on a hill within 2 feet of another car.
At 75,000 miles, the vehicle failed to operate in reverse gear. A search of the internet revealed many other bmw owners that have experienced this same failure. The solution was a >$3,000 charge to rebuild the transmission.
My 2000 323i (144k miles) reverse doesn't work anymore. I started noticing problems a few years ago but each time I complained they (northwest bmw in randallstown) never found a problem. I called the dealership and I was quoted a fee of ~$4500 for repair. This is insane, I think I've had this problem all along and no one really ever took the time at the dealership to investigate properly. I am very disheartened about the whole situation. The bmw manufacturers should have recalled this vehicle model several years ago.
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